Starter



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 STARTER G. C. GOODE NW EN TOR. G/L'BER T G. GOODE BY ,qrrnxrllfxs.

Oct. 26, 1948.

Filed Oct. 20, 1944 Patented Oct. 26, 1948 STARTER Gilbert 0. Goode, Birmingham, Mlch., minor to Chrysler Corporation, corporation of Delaware Highland Park, Mlch., a

Application October 20, 1944, Serlal No. 559,644

3 Claims.

This application relates to the starting of a power-generating device. More specifically it relates to a starter for a continuous-flow gas turbine. It also relates to a. novel association of a gas generator of the explosion type with a continuous flow gas turbine.

One drawback incidental to the use a con tinuous flow gas turbine has been the difllculty of starting the turbine. Since such a turbine is designed to operate at generally a certain constant speed, the turbine must be brought to this certain speed before its operation can begin, and so some starter must be employed that will accomplish the tremendous job of bringing the turbine to speed. A large electric motor has been used for this purpose. I propose to make possible the reduction in size of the electric motor by using the motor to bring the turbine only to a low speed and employing another starting means to bring the turbine from the low speed to its rated speed.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved starting means for a turbine. More specifically this involves a starting means for a gas turbine of the continuous flow "type.

A further object is the provision of a novel association of a gas producer of the explosion type with a gas turbine of the continuous flow type Another object is to provide a device for start ing a gas turbine of the continuous flow type by operating directly upon the blading of the turbine. This may involve projecting hot gases from a supplementary source against the blading.

Other objects will appear from the disclosure.

in the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partially in section, oi a gas turbine and a starter therefor;

Fig. 2 is an end view of a deflecting plate and a portion of the structure of the turbine to which it is attached; and

Fig. 3 is a schematic showing of the means for controlling the turbine and the starter therefor.

The reference character Hi designates a gas turbine of the continuous flow type, which includes an axial compressor or supercharger ii, a burner nozzle i2, and an impeller i3 comprising a plurality of movable blade members or wheels i4 secured in spaced relation to one another upon a shaft 55. Adjacent one end of the compressor ii is an air inlet iii, to which is connected an air supply pipe IT, in which is mounted a throttle valve i8. Within the air inlet i6 is a smaller air inlet is leading directly to the compressor H which includes a plurality of sets of stationary blades 20 mounted in a portion 2! of the casing for the turbine Ill, in which the air inlet is is integrally formed. The compressor Ii also includes a plurality of movable blades 22 spaced alternately between the stationary blades 20 and mounted on a rotor 23, secured upon hub members 24, in turn secured upon the shaft it. At the right end of the compressor H is a delivery duct 25 for the compressor ii, formed integral with the turbine casing portion 2|. At the lower side as viewed in. Fig. 1, the delivery duct has a flanged outlet 2? to which is secured a flange .26 of a conduit 29. The burner nozzle i2 is positioned within one end of the conduit 2S adjacent the flange and is also mounted directly within a burner jacket 3%. The discharge end. of the nozzle i2 is supported in a bell-shaped member 3i by means of a spacer 32 through which air may pass. The bell-shaped member is mounted, constructed for the passage of air or other combustiomsupporting gas between the nozzle 52 and the member it. The left end of the burner jacket is supported in rings 33 and 3t, constructed for the passage of air therethrough between nozzle 52 and the conduit 39. One side of the burner jacket St has an opening 35 directly opposite the open of the-delivery duct 255. The right end of the burner nozzle 52 is mounted in a fitting 36, mounted in turn in a fitting 33, secured to the right end of the 4301i dult 25 and mounting the right end of the jacket 38. The fitting 3'; has fuel supply inlet 38.

The left end. of the conduit terminates in a portion 38 curved upwardly and having a flanged outlet 39, which is secured to a flanged inlet 68 of a structure ii having an annular passage 52. The annular passage has four arcuate outlets 3 spaced around in a circle and each extending for somewhat less than ninety degrees as indicated by the arrows leading from the reference char acters d3 in Fig. 2. Secured to the structure 69 in covering relation with respect to the openings 33 is an annular plate having a plurality of baiiies d5, arranged in a circle and forming openings between them. The baffles '35 and the ope ings between them are directly opposite the periph ries of the blade wheels id. A plurality of partitions 46, ll and 48 mounted in a casing portion 49 between the wheels is have openings 50, Si, and 52, respectively, increasing in size in the order named. The openings 5G, 5!, and 52 are directly opposite the peripheries of the wheels M. The inner portions of the partitions 26, GT, and 48 carry seals 53 in cooperative relation with openings 53, as shown in Fig. 2.

to an exhaust outlet all. A seal 58 and a ball bearing 5% are positioned between the portion lid and the shaft it. The shaft it is actually composed of two shafts and at, shaft as being 1 within the casing portion iii and the turbine wheels i l, and shaft bi being within the compressor 55. The left end of the shaft bi is hollow and receives in driving relation the right end of the shaft 6U. The shaft til has a right end 52, which is adapted to transmit power.

A burner or gas producer at of the explosion chamber type includes a structure be secured to the structure 411 by the long screws 55 and by short screws 65. The structure E6 is formed in four explosion chambers es, of which only one is shown. Each chamber has an outlet 63 registering with a passage to extending through the structure to the openings in the ring member it. The outlets b8 and the passage 6d are spaced ninety degrees apart between the long arcuate Each chamber has a spark plug ill, a fuel injector nozzle ii, and an inlet 72, controlled by a valve plate it, having an opening I 3. A casing 75 is secured to the structure 64 by screws 75*, of which only one is shown, and has an annular passage 86 and passages ll leading to the inlet passages l2 of the combustion chambers 55. A compressor 58 is secured to the casing and is driven by an electric motor la. The compressor is adapted to supply air or other combustion-supporting gas in a compressed state to the gas producer 63. An intake line 80 is connected to the compressor it. A passage 3! in the casing l5 leads from the compressor 18 to the annular passage 76 in the easing '55. An electric motor 82 is secured by screws 83 to the casing 15 and has an overrunning or free-wheeling connection 84 with the left end of the shaft 60. 1

At the right end of the shaft Si is a governor housing 85 into which extends a shaft as. A wheel 81 is secured to the shaft 8t, and a worm 88 in the shaft 6| meshes with the wheel 81. A distributor 88' for the spark plugs 70 is shown I drivingly connected with shaft 6i by a shaft 89 and other mean not shown. The connections between the dis ibutor88 and the spark plugs 10 are not shown, since they are conventional.

In operation, the turbine will run at a, certain constant or nearly constant speed. During such operation air will be drawn through the inlet it past the open throttle valve 58 into the compressor II. From this it will pass through the outlet 26 to the burner nozzle i2. This nozzle will receive a continuous supply of fuel, and a flame will burn continuously at the nozzle. Gaseous products of combustion will be delivered to and through the conduit 29 to the annular space 42 in the structure 4|. Thence the gases will be projected through the arcuate slots 43 and the spaces between the baflies 45 in the ring 44 against the periphery of the wheels I. The wheels II are thereby caused to rotate, and they in turn cause the shafts 60 and 6|, forming the shaft l5, to rotate. The turbine III is adapted to operate at a nearly constant rated speed, and it cannot be operated until it is brought to that speed. For this purpose the motor 92, the burner $53, the compressor it, and the motor 78 are provided. The motor 82, acting through the free-wheeling connection 85, sets the shaft and the blade wheels ill in motion. When a certain low speed of rotation has been reached, the compressor lb and the explo= sion chamber burner 83 are placed in operation. The gaseous products of combustion generated thereby pass through the openings es in the structure 5i and through the spaces between the bahfiles lii in the ring i l to the blade wheels i l, in-= creasing the speed of the wheels from the aiorementioned low speed to the rated speed of the turbine. Then the throttle valve it; is opened, causing air to be drawn through the compressor M and fed to the burner nozzle i2. Fuel is fed burner 58 are taken out of operation. The motor 3 2 will have been taken out of operation in the neighborhood of the aforementioned low speed. Of course, the motor could be kept in operation without damage, because the overrunning clutch 86 is so arranged that the shaft til because of the burner til or the turbine iii may rotate faster than the motor at can drive it.

Fig. 3 shows schematically the controls for plac... ing in and taking out of operation the various devices previously described. The reference character 9G designates a shaft located within the housing 85 and drivingly connected by means not shown with the shaft 86 so as to rotate at a speed proportional to the speed of the shaft it.

Mounted on the shaft at are four speed-responsive governors M, 92, 93, and as. Governor e2 has a contact engaging another contact at urged against contact 95 by spring ill. Movement of the contact at in direction in which it is urged by spring S'l is limited by a stop at. The contact 96 is connected to a line 99 in which is connected the starting motor 82. The line 99 extends to a connection point see, from which extends a line it! in which is connected a source of electric power m2 and manually operated switch M33. The line lbi terminates in a connection point Hi6 from which extends a line m5 to the contact 95. From the connection point iiili extends a line tilt to a contact it! urged toward a contact lllii by a spring I09 but held in spaced relation to the contact i 68 by a, stop He. The contact its is connected to the speed governor 9!. A line ill extends from the contact its to a contact H2 connected to the speed governor 94. The contact H2 is engaged by a contact H3 urged against the contact M2 by a spring lid. A stop i it limits the movement of contact H3 in the direction in which it is urged by the spring lid. From the contact l i3 extends a line H6, in which are connected the motor 79 for the auxiliary compressor 18, a control for the fuel valves ii in the exploslon chamber burner 83, and a control for the distributor 88. The line H6 terminates in a con-' nection point ill, from which extends a line M8 to the connection point Hi0. Also a line H9 extends from the connection point H7 and in the line H9 are connected an ignitor for the fuel nozzle 52, a control for a valve supplying fuel to the fuel nozzle 82, and a control for the air throttle valve l8. Line H9 extends to a contact E20, connected with the speed governor 93. The contact I20 is adapted to engage a contact l2i, urged toward contact I20 by a spring l2: but held out of contact with contact I20 by a stop 923. Line I24 extends from contact I2] to connection point Ill.

Closing of the switch I03 causes current to flow from the power source I02 through the lines MI and I05, contacts 95 and 96, and line 99 to the starting motor 82. From the starting motor the current flows through the line 99, the connection point I and line IOI back to the power source. As the shaft I increases in speed, the shaft 90 does likewise causing the contact 95 to rise somewhat. However, the spring 9'! maintains engagement of the contacts 95 and 99 with one another, and current continues to flow to the motor. When the speed of the shaft I5 has increased to a certain speed such as 1,000 R. P. M., the contact I08 will have risen sufficiently under the action of the governor 9I to engage the cont-act I07. This causes current to flow through the lines I06 and III, the contacts H4 and H5, and the line IIB to the motor I9 for the auxiliary compressonthe control for the fuel valves II, and the control for the distributor 88 for the spark plugs I0. This puts in operation the explosion-chamber burner 63 causing it to generate gases acting against the turbine wheels I4. The speed of the shaft I5 continues to rise. and when it has reached a somewhat higher speed, for example, 1,300 B. P. M. the governor 92 will have caused the contact 95 to rise sufiiciently to allow the contact 98 under action of the spring 97 to strike the stop 98. Thereupon, contact between the contacts 95 and 96 is broken, flow of current to the starting motor 82 is interrupted, and the motor 82 is shut down. Thereafter, speed of the shaft III increases by the action of the explosion chamber burner 63 until it reaches a high value, for example, 3,000 R. P. M. At this point the governor 93 will have caused the contact I to rise sufiiciently to engage the contact I2I. Thereupon, current flows through the line I24, contacts I20 and I2I, and line II9 to the controls for the air throttle valve I8, the valve for the main fuel nozzle I2, and the ignitor for the fuel nozzle I2. This places the turbine I0 in operation. The explosion-chamber burner 83 continues in operation and may be considered to act as a booster for the turbine I0, until the speed of the shaft I5 reaches a value, for example, 3,500 R. P. M. At this point the governor 94 will have caused the contact II2 to rise sumciently for the contact I I3 under the action of the spring I4 to reach the stop II5. Thereupon contact is broken between the contacts H2 and .II3, and flow of current to the motor for the auxiliary compressor 19 and to the controls for the fuel valves II and the distributor 88 for the spark plugs I0 of the combustion chamber. The turbine I0 now runs without the help of the combustion-chamber burner 93. The speed of the turbine I0 now rises to its rated value, which may for example be 4,000 R. P. M. When the turbine is to be shut 00?, the switch I09 is opened. This action interrupts the flow of current to the controls for the turbine. Opening of the switch I03 prevents flow of current to the starting motor 82 and to the controls for the combustion chamber burner 63, preventing their operation. The turbine I0 comes to rest.

It is contemplated that the turbine I0 may be used to drive an automotive vehicle through a fluid coupling, which is well suited to receive drive at a certain speed and to transmit drive at a variahis speed. The combustion-chamber burner may be used as a booster to meet the additional load requirements that arise at times in an automotive vehicle.

I claim:

1. In combination, a gas turbine of the continuous flow type comprising an impeller wheel adapted to rot-ate in a certain speed range, a continuously opera-ting burner for continuously supplying gaseous products of combustion, means for feeding the gaseous products of combustion from. the burner to the impeller, including a generally annular structure for distributing the gaseous products about the periphery of .the wheel; and a starter for the turbine comprising a motor initiating rotation of the impeller wheel and bringing it to an intermediate speed below the certain speed range, a burner having combustion chambars for producing gases, and means providing passageways at a plurality of spaced regions through the annular structure for supplying gases produced in the combustion chambers against the impeller to bring the same from the intermediate speed to the certain speed range.

2. A starter for a gas turbine of the continuous flow type comprising a rotatable impeller and a continuously operating burner for continuously producing gas to .be directed continuously against the impeller to maintain the same in a certain speed range, the starter comprising a motor for initiating rotation of the impeller and bringing it to an intermediate speed, a burner having combustion chambers and spark plugs and being positioned with respect to the impeller so as to direct gaseous products of combustion thereagainst for bringing the impeller from the intermediate speed to the certain speed range, means for compressing and supplying combustion-supporting gas to the combustion chambers of the last mentioned burner, and a rotary valve for interrupting the supplying of the combustion-supporting gas to the combustion chambers during ignition or fuel in the chambers by the spark plugs.

3. A starter for a gas turbine of the continuous flow type comprising a rotatable impeller and a continuously operating burner for continuously producing gas to be directed continuously against the impeller to maintain the same in a certain speed range, the starter comprising a motor secured to the shaft for initiating rotation of the shaft and impeller and bringing them to an intermediate speed below the certain speed range, and a burner of the combustion chamber type for supplying gaseous products of combustion to the impeller to bring it from the intermediate speed to the certain speed range.

GILBERT C. GOODE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

